IMMUNOTOXIC ORGANOTINS AS POSSIBLE MODEL COMPOUNDS IN STUDYING APOPTOSIS AND THYMOCYTE DIFFERENTIATION

In the mid-seventies it appeared that some organotin compounds selecti vely caused thymus atrophy. From that time onward efforts were made to reveal molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. In this review rec ent studies into organotin-sensitive stages and processes of thymocyte maturation are discussed. Together these studies resulted in the reco gnition of organotin compounds as possible model compounds in studying immature thymocyte differentiation and protein synthesis-independent apoptotic cell death of thymocytes.